Steering gear for automobiles



F. GAHM.

STEERING GEAR FOR AUTOMOBILES. FILED MAY 31. 1922.

n] im imli llit hl STEERING GEAR EUR .PlUTUWOlEllILlEIS.

application mea :may ai,

To all fww/)n may concern.'

Be it known that FRANK Ganar, a citizen ot the lilnited States, and resident of titreaton county oit lia Salle, and State of 5 illinois7 have invented certain new and use- ;iul improvements in Steering Gears vfor Automobiles, of which the following is a specification, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings7 forming a part 10 thereof.

rlllhe invention relates to the steering gear of automobiles, and particularly to the connection at the bottom of the steering column or shaft.

llt has been a common practice to iiX a crank arin to the lowerend ot' the steering shaft and connect this arni either directly or` indirectly to the wheel brackets by ine-aus olz a rod. 'llhis arrangement has the disadvantage ci? requiring the operator to maintain. a hrm grasp on the steering wheel.

.lhe object of this invention is to provide a gear connection between the steering shaft and the crank arm at its lower end, this connection being adapted to maintain the steering apparatus in central position with suiiicient security to relieve the operator in great measure l'rom the necessity ot holding the car to the road.

rllhe invention consists of' a device such as hereinafter described and illustrated ,in the accom'partying; drawings, in which liig. ,l is a detail side View ot the mechanisiniand a part of the iframe of a car;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3-3 of llig. l; and

Fig i is a detail side clcvatimi ot the apparatus in assembled position.

ft part oit the traine o'lV an automobile is represented at lil. and at ll, |52. are shown braclre if Lneeuged to the traine lfor supper .ing the steering shaft i3.

'.lhe shaft 13 is journaled in an eccentric sleeve ht, lnozrinted to turn in a bearing block l [i carried by the bracket il, and held in adijnsted position by a set-screw lt. A, pinion 'li' is i'izied upon the shaft 1 3 below the sleeve 14:.

'll1 he crank arm i8, adapted ior the attach- /ifl `nient of a rod (not shown) associated with the wheel brackets, is pivoted upon a stud sha-ift 19 set through the block i5, parallel. with the shaft 13. The inner end ot the crank arm 18 is given the t'orin oit' a loop or yoke 20, which incloses the pinion i7 and is provided with a segmental rack bar l for engagement therewith. 'llhe turning oit the shaft 13 swings the cra-nk arm for steering the vehicle. rthe curvature oi the rack bar 2l is slightly flattened at the median portion thereof, thereby causing a suiticient ly Close engagement with the pinion i7 to prevent movement with ordinary road conf ditions, the engagement of the pinion with the endportions ot' the rack being. lionf'ever sni'iiciently tree to perlnit the easy turning oi the shu'lit l?) by the usual hand wheel. l

rlhe sleeve 'lli projects slightly above the block "l5, and is provided at its upper end with a hexagonal head 22. to which avwrench may be applied lfor the purpose ott adjustnient to take up any wear which may occur between the pinion and rack bar. i lne ot the teeth, as 23, olf the pinion l? is enlarged to forni a stop for limiting the turning movement olf' the shaft 13j and to prevent the rack bar iroin being thrown. out oit engagement with the pinion by excessive movement oi the 'vehicle wheel. At 24h 25% are shown apertures in the block l5 tor acco1ninodating the usual rodsI tor controlling the ignition mechanism and the carlnn'eter throttle.

I claim as iny invention- In a steering apparatus tor automobiles. 1n combination, a steering sha-th a block for supporting the lower end o'l the sha-tt a pinion on the shzl'lit, a stud shaft carried by the blrmk. a crank aren married by the sind shalft and liaviirgv a l a terse s in engagemen with the pini ture oit' the median 'portion ot the ruck beine; less than that ol the end portions theresi1 an errentric sleeve jonrnaled in `the bloeit and 'forming a bearing Vtor the steering shaft, and means Yfor securing the sleeve in adjusted positions.

FRANK Gril-lili'.

ill) 

